TikTok's Shift to Original Content Post UMG's Music Exit & Landscape Video Push
TikTok came out with 2 major updates in the past couple of weeks which completely changes the future of content creation on the app. The first update involves UMG pulling all their artists’ music from the app, and the second involves TikTok pushing landscape videos. Stick around to learn about the link from both of these updates and how this affects content for creators and brands.
UMG Pulling Music from TikTok
Universal Music Group (UMG) has pulled all the music from artists labelled under them, including Taylor Swift, Drake and so many more, both big and small. As a result, all music produced under UMG is now unavailable and thousands of videos are muted.
In a nutshell, the reason why is because UMG believes that TikTok is not fairly compensating their artists. In contrast, TikTok believes its algorithm that favours exposure is enough and that UMG is putting “their greed above their artists”. You can read TikTok’s official statement here, and UMG’s here.
Our opinion? We believe that all artists and creators should be compensated regardless of exposure; however, we also sympathise greatly with smaller artists who will be greatly affected by not being able to have their music on TikTok. YungBlud sums it up by saying, “Two massive companies deciding what goes on with people’s art. It’s a bit f**king daft, isn’t it?”
Thousands of videos, like ours, are now muted, and as we put it, so awkward. Keep in mind that you do have the option to go back and replace the sound.
TikTok Pushing Landscape Videos
TikTok has sent a notification to a select number of creators, encouraging them to create landscape videos, which comes at the same time that they change the display of their comment section.
Previously, when opening the TikTok comment section, it would naturally, cover about half of the video. Now, with the newest update, the video collapses while you open the comment section and scroll through comments, all while watching a minimised version of the video. The push for landscape videos favours this comment section update, due to the natural black border around landscape videos. See the image below for an example.
Knowing that TikTok’s main competitor is YouTube, we can clearly see the resemblance in video format on both platforms now that landscape videos on TikTok are “a thing”.
The push for landscape videos favours this comment section update, due to the natural black border around landscape videos.
How They Link
With UMG pulling all their music from TikTok, it points to creators and brands needing to be more creative in their content, as they are no longer able to rely on the mass of trending sounds that UMG greatly contributed to.
In addition to this, the notification that TikTok sent creators when pushing them to make more landscape videos, they also added an important note, mentioning that “videos should be longer than 1 minute”, as well as “videos consisting of lip-synching or random recording are less encouraged”.
Both of these updates lead to one thing, being brands and creators creating more original content. This all very much fits into TikTok’s agenda of making TikTok the new YouTube, with longer, more engaging and more importantly, original content.
What This Means For You
If you’ve read up until here, it’s pretty clear that we are telling you to make more original content. The key here is to begin creating videos longer than 1 minute where you are talking. Here are some tips to get you started…
try out vlogging your day with a voiceover, and include ASMR, time-stamps, sounds and talking in real-time,
start your series and share tips of a journey you’re on to give people an incentive to follow you,
prop up your phone and share a tutorial or a how-to while you’re talking in real-time,
there are endless ideas, it’s time to get creative!
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